Tuesday, March 18
Empire Productions Welcomes…
Alcest – Les Chants De L’Aurore North American Tour
with Kælan Mikla
$29.50 Adv. / $35 Day of / 18+ / Doors: 6:30pm / Show: 7:30pm

As the world we live in grows darker and more bewildering with every passing day, the transformative power of music has never been more vital. Formed in the small French town of Bagnols-sur-Cèze at the dawn of the century, underground icons Alcest have always been clear about their desire to transport listeners to somewhere different, somewhere better. Led by founder and multi-instrumentalist Neige, the French artists have been one of the most consistently radical voices in all of heavy music, with a sound that eschews metal’s often myopic devotion to casting shadows, in favour of a sublime blend of darkness and blinding bright light.

Wednesday, November 20 
Better Lovers – The Highly Irresponsible Tour
w/ Full of Hell * Spy * Cloakroom
$26 Adv. / $30 Day of / 18+ / Doors: 6pm / Show: 7pm

By challenging each other to progress, Better Lovers challenge heavy music to move forward along with them.

Driven by the same restless spirit and clear intention, this cohort of longtime musicians have rallied around a shared vision of creative fearlessness and relentless energy. Playing with a chemistry bordering on magic, the musicians—Greg Puciato (vocals), Jordan Buckley (guitar), Will Putney (guitar, producer), Steve Micciche (bass), and Clayton “Goose” Holyoak (drums) —naturally evolve on their 2024 full-length debut album, Highly Irresponsible.

Tuesday, December 3 
Empire Productions welcomes…
Blood Incantation – Absolute ElseTour North America 2024
w/ Midwife
$25 Adv. / $28 Day of / 18+ / Doors: 7pm / Show: 8pm

Tuesday, October 15
The 30 Year Anniversary of Oasis Playing Metro
Definitely Same Date
Definitely Same Set List
Definitely NOT Oasis
Definitely Maybe the next best thing
BROASIS LIVE * with special guests Flesh Panthers * Brit-Pop DJ set by Synergy
$15 Adv. / $20 Day of / 18+ / Doors: 7PM / Show: 8PM
In Partnership with Heineken Silver

Friday, November 29 
Chevy Metal
$29.50 Adv. / $35 Day of / 18+ / Doors: 7pm / Show: 8pm

Thursday, November 7
Death From Above 1979 * Teen Mortgage
$32.50 Adv. / $38 Day of / All Ages / Doors: 6:30pm / Show: 7:30pm

Friday, October 18 
Dexter and The Moonrocks * Edgehill
$25 Adv. / $30 Day of / 18+ / Doors: 7pm / Show: 8pm

Hailing from Abilene, Texas, Dexter and The Moonrocks have carved a unique niche in the music scene with their innovative blend of Southern Alternative, red-dirt country, and alternative rock, creating a genre their fans affectionately call “Western SpaceGrunge.” The band, consisting of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist James Tuffs, lead guitarist and vocal harmonizer Ryan Anderson, bassist Ty Anderson, and drummer and vocal harmonizer Fox, combines influences from a wide range of artists, including Nirvana, Foo Fighters, Rainbow Kitten Surprise, and Whiskey Myers, to produce a sound that is both earth-shattering and introspective.

Wednesday, October 23 
Drop Nineteens * Olivia O
$25 Adv. / $30 Day of / 18+ / Doors: 7pm / Show: 8pm

When Drop Nineteens disbanded in the mid-‘90s, singer Greg Ackell decided he would never make music again. He wouldn’t noodle around on a guitar in his basement. He wouldn’t get a group of friends together just to jam. He was done with music entirely. Following the release of the shoegaze masterpiece Delaware in 1992, and the intricate experimentations on National Coma in 1993, the group disbanded. They shared stages with Radiohead, Hole, Blur, PJ Harvey and Smashing Pumpkins. They went from being teenagers in Boston to mid-twenty-somethings with a few MTV videos, a couple BBC sessions and numerous festival appearances under their belt. So when Drop Nineteens ceased to be, Ackell felt content. He had the rest of his life in front of him to figure outwhat he wanted to do. Music was a closed chapter.

That was until 2021, when a friend from the band’s early days got Greg on the phone to suggest making some music together, just to see how it felt. Instead of shutting it downlike he had been doing over the years, he decided to entertain the prospect. For the first time in nearly 30 years, he picked up a guitar with intent. He immediately called up Steve Zimmerman, the band’s bassist and fellow guitarist, and the two got writing. It felt effortless for Ackell, like he never stopped writing music. “We were off to the races,” he says, “But also the question came up: what does a Drop Nineteens song sound like today?” Enter Hard Light, the band’s stunning third record. It’s the band’s proverbial follow up to Delaware, a modern Drop Nineteens record that is completely singular in its sound and vision.

Thursday, October 24
Metro & Riot Fest present…
Enter Shikari * You Me At Six * Yours Truly
$35 – $38 Adv. / $40 Day of / 18+ / Doors: 6pm / Show: 7pm

Sunday, October 6 
Faun
$35 Adv. / $40 Day of / 18+ / Doors: 7PM / Show: 8PM 

Founded in Germany in 2000, the ensemble FAUN combines medieval & ancient instruments with modern influences to create an enchanting and powerful atmosphere.

The band’s performance incorporates many different instruments, including the hurdy-gurdy, key fiddle, various lutes, the bagpipes, celtic harp and archaic beats. The melodic vocal section going from solo folk-like singing of ballads to chant-like and enchanting vocal performances combine something truly magical. Influences of Celtic folk and medieval music fusing with driving beats draws an ever fast growing crowd of followers. 

Saturday, November 2 
Finom * Cabeza De Chivo * Hosted by Mary Williamson
$20 Adv. / $25 Day of / 18+ / Doors: 7pm / Show: 8pm

There’s an obvious chemistry emanating throughout Finom’s (formerly known as Ohmme) music that’s so tangible it can only come from a decades-spanning friendship. Songwriters Sima Cunnningham and Macie Stewart formed their unbreakable bond performing throughout the fringes of Chicago’s many interlocking communities, collaborating with titans from the city’s indie rock, hip-hop, and improvised worlds. But together they’ve stretched the boundaries of what guitar music can do. Finom formed as an outlet for Cunningham and Stewart to explore an unconventional approach to their instruments. “That’s the whole genesis of the band: us walking up to our guitars and saying, ‘how can we make this noisemaker do something different?’”

Wednesday, November 13 
Empire Productions presents…
Fit For An Autopsy * Bodysnatcher * Distant * Sylosis * Judiciary
$28.50 Adv. / $32 Day of / 18+ / Doors: 5:30pm / Show: 6:30pm

Sunday, January 26 
Frank Black
$35 / All Ages / Doors: 6:30pm / Show: 7:30pm

Saturday, January 25 
Frank Black
$35 / All Ages / Doors: 6:30pm / Show: 7:30pm

Friday, October 25 
Friday Pilots Club – The Nowhere Tour * Capital Soiree * Family Dinner 
$25 Adv. / $30 Day of / All Ages / Doors: 7pm / Show: 8pm

Some bands just can’t agree on the merits of Primus. Some bands just aren’t meant to spend a month at a remote cabin in Georgia in an attempt to finish their long-in-the-works debut album. Thankfully, Friday Pilots Club is both of those bands.

Formed in 2017 as a duo of vocalist Caleb Hiltunen and bassist Drew Polivick, the Chicago-based combo has grown in recent years to include guitarists Sean Burke and James Kourafas and drummer Eric Doar, whose contributions are readily apparent on Friday Pilots Club’s electrifying first full-length, Nowhere. On an album positively crammed with irresistible grooves, big riffs and even bigger choruses, its most distinctive quality might just be the varied tastes and talents of its members, demonstrating once and for all how consensus is overrated but compromise is often key.

Saturday, November 16 
Cold Waves presents…
Front 242 – Blackout: The Final Shows 
with special guest Kanga
$42 Adv. / $50 Day of / 18+ / Doors: 7pm / Show: 8pm 

“It is with a heavy mix of emotion that we close this great adventure, some 40 years in the making,” say Patrick, Richard and Lean Juc, the bands core members. “We realize that ending our journey at this time, when we are still vibrant and full of energy is how the band should be remembered. We are excited to share these meaningful final performances with our wonderful fans who have been with us through it all.”

Dates stretch across the globe from September through December of 2024, with final US performances taking place in their second home of Chicago, November 15 and 16. The final Front 242 concerts will be in their hometown of Brussels, Belgium in January 2025. 

Friday, November 15
Cold Waves presents…
Front 242 – Blackout: The Final Shows 
with special guest Kontravoid
$42 Adv. / $50 Day of / 18+ / Doors: 7pm / Show: 8pm 

“It is with a heavy mix of emotion that we close this great adventure, some 40 years in the making,” say Patrick, Richard and Lean Juc, the bands core members. “We realize that ending our journey at this time, when we are still vibrant and full of energy is how the band should be remembered. We are excited to share these meaningful final performances with our wonderful fans who have been with us through it all.”

Dates stretch across the globe from September through December of 2024, with final US performances taking place in their second home of Chicago, November 15 and 16. The final Front 242 concerts will be in their hometown of Brussels, Belgium in January 2025. 

Sunday, October 27 
Metro & smartbar present…
HalloQueen!
Featuring: Derrick Carter * Soichi Terada (LIVE) * Tama Sumo + Lakuti * Michael Serafini
Hosted by: Lucy Stoole * Nico 
Guest Hosts: House of Paint
$25-30 Advance / $35 Door / $30 Student Door (before 12am with Student ID) / 21+ / Doors: 9PM / Show: 9PM

Tuesday, February 25 
Hulvey
$25 Adv. / $30 Day of / $55 VIP / All Ages/ Doors: 6:30pm / Show: 7:30pm

VIP Ticket includes: 
– GA Admission for one 
– Early entry one hour before public doors
– Pre show group Q&A with Hulvey
– Signed tour poster
– First access to venue to secure spot closest to the stage
– First access to merchandise.

Saturday, October 12 
JD McPherson * Kate Clover
$30 Adv. / $35 Day of / 18+ / Doors: 7pm / Show: 8pm

@ Sleeping Village
Thursday, November 21 
Metro Presents…
Kevin Garrett
$25 Adv. /  $30 Day of / 21+ / Doors: 7PM / Show: 8PM

Kevin Garrett is an old soul with new ideas and likely one of your favorite artist’s favorite artists. He has woven his creativity across all facets of the music industry, writing for artists like Beyoncé, Troye Sivan, and Cynthia Erivo, and touring with the likes of Mumford & Sons, Banks, and James Bay. Over the course of his career the independent artist has already amassed over 300 million streams and traveled on headline and support tours around the world, most recently with Dermot Kennedy in America and Bruno Major in Europe and Australia. Kevin Garrett is currently unveiling his next project with its first two singles “Hard Work” and “Promises.” Always aiming to cross and bend genre, Kevin Garrett continues to remain at the top of anyone’s list of artists to watch.

Friday, November 1
KMFDM – 40th Anniversary Tour * Morlocks
$45 Adv. / $49 Day of / $80 2-Day Pass / 18+ / Doors: 7PM / Show: 8PM

KMFDM (originally Kein Mehrheit Für Die Mitleid, loosely translated by the band as “no pity for the majority”) is a multinational industrial band from Hamburg, Germany, led by Sascha Konietzko, who founded the band in 1984 as a performance art project in Paris, France.

The band’s earliest albums were recorded in Germany before they moved to the United States, where they found much greater success with seminal record label Wax Trax! out of Chicago. Throughout the 90’s KMFDM constantly evolved with a revolving door line-up, becoming a household name in the US music scene. Their 1995 hit “Juke Joint Jezebel catapulted KMFDM into the Billboard charts and got them onto many movie soundtracks, notably Bad Boys and Mortal Kombat. 

Critics consider KMFDM one of the first bands to bring industrial music to mainstream audiences, though Konietzko refers to the band’s music as “The Ultra Heavy Beat”. The band incorporates heavy metal guitar riffs, electronic music, and both male and female vocals in its music, which encompasses a variety of styles including industrial rock , electronic body music and even reggae and dub. 

Thursday, October 31
KMFDM – 40th Anniversary Tour * Morlocks * Greg Haus (DJ Set)
$45 Adv. / $49 Day of / $80 2-Day Pass / 18+ / Doors: 7PM / Show: 8PM

KMFDM (originally Kein Mehrheit Für Die Mitleid, loosely translated by the band as “no pity for the majority”) is a multinational industrial band from Hamburg, Germany, led by Sascha Konietzko, who founded the band in 1984 as a performance art project in Paris, France.

The band’s earliest albums were recorded in Germany before they moved to the United States, where they found much greater success with seminal record label Wax Trax! out of Chicago. Throughout the 90’s KMFDM constantly evolved with a revolving door line-up, becoming a household name in the US music scene. Their 1995 hit “Juke Joint Jezebel catapulted KMFDM into the Billboard charts and got them onto many movie soundtracks, notably Bad Boys and Mortal Kombat. 

Critics consider KMFDM one of the first bands to bring industrial music to mainstream audiences, though Konietzko refers to the band’s music as “The Ultra Heavy Beat”. The band incorporates heavy metal guitar riffs, electronic music, and both male and female vocals in its music, which encompasses a variety of styles including industrial rock , electronic body music and even reggae and dub. 

Wednesday, October 16 
Local H: Whatever Happened to P.J. Soles? 20th Anniversary Show
$25 Adv. / $30 Day of / 18+ / Doors: 7pm / Show: 8pm

@ Sleeping Village
Saturday, October 19 
LSDXOXO  * Glamour Cadaver
$20 Adv. / $25 Day of / Door: 10:30PM / Show: 11PM